Twin Perspectives

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Sleepless In Aurora":

I think I am not quite fully understanding this post. Are you saying that this position was approved during the last term without council's approval? Are you saying that staff are going ahead with a recruitment without the correct authority to do so?
Are you saying that this recruitment should not be going ahead without this council's approval?
I would appreciate some clarification.
Thank you.

***************************

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Sleepless In Aurora":

Now that the election's over, I see you're back to attacking staff.

The more things change

**********************************

The first comment seeks clarity of what I said before. The second accuses me.

People have to make their own judgment.

This week an ad appeared on the town's web site, in the Municipal World ,likely in the Globe and Mail and in one local newspaper for the position of Manager of Customer Services in the Town of Aurora.

Members of Aurora Council elected almost three months ago,undoubtedly were surprised by the ad. They were not informed. If a taxpayer asked when the job was created or anything about it,the councillor would be clueless.

Last year,under Mormac, a consultant was retained to advise how the town's administration could or should be re-organized. It hadn't been done for thirty years, somebody said. Council accepted the recommendations of the study. Responsibilities were shifted about. New jobs were created.

No previous reports indicated chaos or confusion. No stream of complaints were noted. Nevertheless, responsibilities were arbitrarily shifted about.

Manager of buildings and facilities came under the umbrella of Public Works from Leisure Services.

Manager of comunity centre maintenance became responsible for the town fleet.

Human Resources came under the cloak of Chief Financial Officer from the Clerk's department

Bylaw department shifted under the mantle of Chief Building Official from the Clerk's Department.

Communications came into the fold of Chief Administrative Officer from the Clerk's office. A person doing the job competently was displaced by another and soon departed.

Time-worn titles were replaced by lengthy tomgue- twisting nomenclature. And new stationery had to be printed.

Creative perches in heirarchy came into being. Some directors were elevated, others stripped of authority. Some skills became underutilised, others did not exist for the job at hand.

In the Mormac administration,it appeared obsequious subservience was liberally rewarded.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. She who pays consultant fees is both architect and designer. Songs of praise were frequently warbled throughout the land.

Robbing and receiving, new/old responsibilities went off without a hitch. About then, the need for new bodies became apparent.

No budget was provided in 2010 for the new job of Customer Service Manager.Nor could there be, since it did not exist at the time the budget was struck.

Since a budget for 2011 is not yet approved, funds for the new job are still not in place. Such a circumstance generally means approval is lacking. Money is the key that turns the lock.

So...the last Council accepted a re-organisational set-up without approving funds.

Yet staff proceeded. Council is mum.

Actually, the new Council hasn't done much of anything since being elected.

Round about now, they must be wondering when we might see a budget let alone approve it.